Ardèche Gorges between the Gournier campsite and the Madeleine cirque

Date of your route : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb route through the Ardèche Gorges!

We returned by following the Dolmen de Chanet walk in the opposite direction to that described, which creates a circular route and makes for a much less steep climb than via the concrete track.

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Date of your route : Jun 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This route is best tackled in hot weather, so make sure you bring plenty of water, even though there’s a chance to top up your water bottles at the campsite.
The section with metal rungs is a bit tricky but manageable (I’m not comfortable with this sort of feature, but I got through it without any real trouble whilst walking alone); however, be careful on the way back when the metal has been heating up all morning.
Also bring a swimsuit (or not, depending on the Templars).

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Date of your route : Mar 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Not at all busy at this time of year.
The descent (and therefore the climb back up) is quite steep, but it’s very manageable as it’s on tarmac.
A slightly technical section once you reach the water’s edge, but very well equipped with a metal ladder, after which you can easily walk along the banks of the Ardèche without any difficulty. Peace and quiet guaranteed.

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Date of your route : Aug 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk that follows the Ardèche river for almost the entire route. Stunning views, with sections where you need to use handrails. The start is a lovely descent down to the campsite (about 2 km); as you can imagine, the return journey is a bit of a workout – it’s quite a steep climb!! But it’s well worth it!! Actually, there’s a bit of a surprise when you reach the Cirque de la Madeleine (or even a little before): the presence of naturists can be a bit of a nuisance.

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Date of your route : May 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with stunning views, well worth the detour if you have a bit of time and are up for a challenge, as the elevation gain is quite significant and the sections over the limestone slabs along the riverbank can be a bit tricky (slippery, steep, etc.), especially for children or novice walkers.

/!\ WARNING /!\ The end of the route, before reaching the Cirque de la Madeleine, crosses the beach of a... naturist campsite (Camping des Templiers)! Apart from the fact that this is likely private property off-limits to non-campers, it is above all an area where you are likely to encounter people in the nude on the beach or in the water, which may cause issues, both for you and for the naturists.

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Date of your route : May 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
We did this route yesterday, Sunday 23 May, in glorious weather.
The scenery is absolutely stunning and the trail is well signposted EXCEPT... when you have to cut across the tarmac section!!! (which is actually the main road...!) As you come out of the woods, there are no clear directions and the path is 10 metres to the left on the other side of the road, but it’s easy to make the mistake of heading right....so be careful.
Best regards
Alain

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